


popsicles and past summers (mermaid au)

by icediero



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: M/M, idek this is my first fic pls don't shoot me, mermaid!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-03-19 12:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3610278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icediero/pseuds/icediero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pete has been a merman for as long as he can remember, Mikey loves this lake. A friendship blooms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic and its gonna be rly shitty so i apologize, i'm an amateur and i kinda suck at writing but i needed to get this idea out of my head so here I am!!!

Pete didn’t know how long he was in the lake for. All he know is that for at least half of his life, he’d been resting on the lake floor, lazing about and watching the minnows swim before his eyes. Every year on his birthday, someone would come and leave a wreath of water lilies with a ribbon attached with the words _Happy Birthday Pete_ in gold print. He’d had at least 12 of the ribbons. Twelve birthdays have passed, he thought. He sighed and pushed off the lake floor, reaching up to take the wreath in his slightly webbed hands. Pulling the ribbon off, he looked around and took the sunspots through the clouds as a sign that the day was here. He’d get the wreath later, but for now, people would be arriving soon, as it was the beginning of summer and the warm air dried his hair and skin a little more than it should. He swam off to play with the minnows.

****  
June 5th was one of the hottest days of the year, or Frank thought so at least. Whatever Frank said, Gerard agreed with, Ray nodded, and Mikey just didn’t care. Gerard had suggested coming to the lake today as soon as they were all awake enough to grab coffee and be in the same room. At this point, Mikey was situated under a tree with a book and his sunglasses. Mikey truly didn’t mind coming here, it was more of a safe haven than anything else. No one in Belleville truly knew how to get here, so not many people would be there to steal their stuff. The sun was just barely shining when they got there, enough to make the water reflective, and Mikey could’ve sworn he saw something in the water. _Or someone._ he’d thought afterwards, standing up and getting closer to the water. He dipped his toe in before reeling it back quickly, the water not yet warm from the sun. Gerard, Frank, and Ray all pushed past him and jumped straight into the water, yelping and rolling back onto the shore. Mikey rolled his eyes. He can still see something in the water, so he wades out ignoring Gerard’s calls. Mikey knows he can’t swim well, but he wants to see what it is. He ignores the cold and he’s about waist deep when he sees a wreath of lilies. He’s about to pull it to him when something extremely fast swims by and grabs it. I _knew it._ Mikey curses, running as fast he can back to shore. Gerard asks why he’s breathing hard, but Mikey can’t answer. They go home early that day.

****  
Pete knew right away he’d made a mistake. He should’ve let the boy take the wreath. But the wreath was special and his. _His._ The flowers were the only thing that he didn’t share with the underwater world. He clutched them in his hands, placing them in a bucket and under a dam that a beaver had built 5 summers ago. When his bucket is safely secured, Pete realizes that the people left. _Maybe they won’t come back._ he quietly wishes, as the sun is at its brightest. It looks like no one else will be coming today, so Pete flips his green, shimmery tail out of the water and sunbathes until the sun sets. He dives back into the water and spends the night hunting for food. On the other side of the city, Mikey lays in bed thinking about possibilities. What had he possibly seen that big? That wasn’t a fish, it wasn’t exactly human either. It moved insanely fast to be human. It’s green scales flashed enough light to blind him, which made him lose track in his head again. He sighed and rolled over, vowing to go back the next day. When he closed his eyes, all he could dream of were mermaid tails and the sea. Mikey doesn't see the downside to his dream. 


	2. ch. 2

Mikey has the decency to wait until Gerard has had two cups of coffee before he asks. Gerard whines slowly, not wanting to answer just yet. “It’s 7am, Michael. No one is gonna take our spots.” Gerard argues, but Mikey sees different. Knowing that he won’t get any of them to go this early, he simply asks for Gerard’s keys. _“Access denied”._ Gerard sneers, pulling his keys out of Mikey’s hand. Mikey just sighs. *** Pete has a full stomach before the moon finally begins its descent into the trees. He swims happily back to his little burrow, burping little bubbles. He doesn’t remember how he came to find raw fish delicious but he does and it _fucking rules_. He swims down and lays out his little treasure bucket. He’s so very excited to start the day, as he’s sure he scared that skinny human away for good. _Serves him right for getting too close._ Pete thinks, counting his little treasures. In his collection he has: One brass doorknob, three skeleton keys, a boy scout patch (his boy scout patch), his ribbons, his lilies, and a mirror that would show the first gift he ever recieved after being put in the lake. He had gotten a tattoo marking that resembled thorns around his neck from a merman he’d grown to lovingly call Bob. Now, Bob wasn’t your average merman. No, this motherfucker could outswim you, taunt you, and hunt fish all at the same time. He was essentially a god to Pete for a little while until he himself got the hang of those tricks. He and Bob had had a lot of fun. That is, until two summers ago, when the humans opened the dam and Bob saw his chance to go. That was the last time Pete had seen his fiery tail, glinting in the sunlight as Bob said goodbye and swam quickly towards the sea. The summers had been dreary after that, and the winters were killer. Pete didn’t mind, though. He kept himself busy through watching humans skate on the ice over his head, occasionally snagging a new gift as it fell through the ice. But at this moment, Pete returned to reality, not wanting to risk getting hurt and saw the sun was now barely hanging over his head. He smiled. *** When Mikey finally got there, bloody nose and all, _Thanks Gerard._ Mikey thinks angrily, wiping his nose on his shirt. It was barely 7:15AM, but Mikey had the fucking keys, which is great for him, he can do whatever he wants until he decides to bring gerard’s car back. He edges towards the water, keeping an eye out for anything that may be swimming in the water. He had waited possibly _four fuc_ _king hours_ for this goddamn thing that wasn’t going to show, and he huffed and turned on his heel, crossing his arms. He no longer wished to see this _mystical creature_ or whatever, which is most likely what drew it out, and why it felt the need to silently creep towards the beach and grab the anklet that was dangling on Mikey’s ankle. Mikey flipped. Mikey actually loses his shit, grabs his stuff that he had, and bolts for his (gerard’s) car, locking it and breathing hard. Mikey questions his sanity for a bit, calms down, calls Ray, gets annoyed with Ray, hangs up while cursing and gets out of the car. Once he's down near the shore again, he spots the thing on a rock near the lake. Mikey's had enough, so he calls out towards whoever it may be  _Hey! That's my anklet!_ while silently cursing under his breath. The thing, or the mermaid, looks at him, and then brushes him off. So Mikey uses as much emotion as he can muster in one glare, and the mermaid sighs. It rolls back into the water and swims extremely fast to where Mikey is standing in the water. "Doesn't have your name on it." the mermaid says, pissing Mikey off even more, causing him to kick the muddy sand on the floor of the lake. "Fine. It's my ex girlfriend's. Please give it back-uhhhh" Mikey stutters. He actually fucking stutters. He doesn't even know if this thing has a name or not, but here he is, asking for a name with this creature who he just found out existed a day ago, and could totally grabs his legs and drag him to his death. Mikey doesn't want to die a waterlogged death. Mikey's wrapped up in his thoughts until the mermaid speaks, and  _holy shit his voice is magical._ "I'm Pete, and you aren't supposed to be here. This is my lake, go away." Pete says, quite sassily Mikey adds. Mikey shrugs, putting his hand out. Mikey is determined, and when he's determined, he gets it done. Pete's tan hands are suddenly hovering over Mikey's, dropping beads from the anklet into Mikey's hand. Mikey looks at him confused before Pete says, "I'll give you the entire thing back bead by bead as long as you come visit me every day you're free." And with that, Pete is gone, and Mikey just makes a mixed sound of  _urgh_ and  _why_ and his favorite word,  _fuck._  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mikey essentially meets pete?? also freaks the fuck out because hELLO YOU STOLE MY PRIZED POSSESSION (also i can't get the paragraphs to space out?? also i apologize for the shitty writing i'm trying my best and i know its not good enough fuk) aLSO BOB THE MERMAID LIKE HELLO BOB IS THE ULTIMATE CONTRAST TO WHAT MERMAIDS USUALLY ARE PORTRAYED AS


	3. ch. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'MS ORRY ITS SHORT I'M LAZY AND I WILL TRY TO UPDATE MY OTHER FIC AND THIS ONE TMR

The day Mikey comes back to the lake is the following thursday. He calls for Pete, throwing pebbles and curses and all sorts of things into the water, waiting for Pete to appear. He hasn’t been able to get Pete out of his mind at all. Mikey blames it on the lack of coffee that morning. It has him all messed up in the head, because he didn’t actually see a mermaid. But as usual, he was wrong.  
  
Pete’s head breaks the waters surface and he looks around until he sees Mikey. He gets as close to the shore as he can, and throws a bead. Mikey catches it with an exhale and eyes full of awe. Pete turns his head to Mikey and dips his hand in the water, pulling up a bit and throwing it at him. Mikey scowls. “What was that for?” he asks, wiping the water off his glasses.   
  
“You’re late.” Pete huffs, moving his tail through the water. Mikey just sort of stares at it because _holy fuck a mermaid._ Mikey apologizes and sits down next to the shore, wondering if this was just a kid punking him. He was totally ready for Ashton Kutcher to appear out of the bushes next to him. He and Pete share a few moments before Pete rolls his eyes. “Is there any reason that you’re still here? You got your bead, leave.” And with that, Mikey leaves.


	4. ch. 4

ch.4

When Mikey starts coming regularly, Pete is surprised. He didn’t think the human would even come around at all. Pete flips happily around while Mikey visits, often asking questions about Pete’s life. “What do you even eat? Do mermaids have to eat?” he asks, curious and shy. Pete rolls his eyes. 

“Well yes, I am a living thing. I do have to eat to survive, idiot.” 

Mikey looks hurt and shocked. Pete instantly eats his words. Mikey opens his mouth and retaliates. 

“Well excuse me, Guardian of the water, but not everyday is there a fucking mermaid in your favorite childhood lake.” Mikey crosses his arms. Pete opens his eyes wide. 

“Ask me another question.” 

Mikey rolls his eyes. 

“Were you human once? Did you do a Jack Frost and fall through the ice? Ooh, that’d be cool.” Mikey gushes, and Pete looks confused. Mikey blushes and mumbles an apology. 

“I don’t remember anything before the lake, so I guess I was here my entire life.” Pete sulks. He had once remembered a life he had lived on land, but it was a dream and when Pete woke up, his tail twitched, almost to confirm the crashing and burning of his dreams. He doesn’t tell Mikey that. He doesn’t tell Mikey he woke up with a strange wetness in his eyes, unlike the muddy lake water. Mikey’s eyes soften. Pete looks down. 

“Maybe there’s something you can do to become human?”

“Don’t dream Mikey.” 

Later that day, Mikey leaves. Pete pretends he doesn’t miss him.


	5. ch. 5

Mikey doesn’t come back for two weeks. Pete is convinced that Mikey’s gone for good, and has resigned himself to lazily drifting on the lake until sunrise. Pete has good, and bad days. He mostly wraps his arms around himself and pretends that it’s Mikey, back to take Pete with him. /wherever he goes./ Pete thinks. 

The day Mikey comes back is Sunday, and Pete relishes in the sweet gummies and doritos Mikey brought him. 

“Why didn’t you come sooner? I missed you.” 

“Not all of us spend our lives in water. I have to work, also I have an annoying older brother.” 

Pete huffs, and pulls his tail out of the water, inspecting it for any dirty scales. Mikey just watches him. Pete rolls his eyes again. It is then that Mikey pulls a camera out. 

“Can I take a picture of you?” 

“Depends, you sellin’ me out, Way?”

“No, just for my personal use. Just to know I’m not crazy when you decide that this lake is too boring and dull for you. You realize they’re opening up the dam again right?” 

Pete’s ear are caught on this. He could leave. He could go to the ocean, and find others like him. He could be happy. 

But yet, he doesn’t want to. He wants to stay here, and as much as he hates that it’s true, he likes being here with this human. He wants to be wherever Mikey is. And that is a tragedy among itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yea hi!!! i updated this surprise!!!


	6. ch.6

When Mikey comes, Pete already senses the dread. When Mikey opens his mouth, Pete’s goes dry. 

“My brother is moving us into New York City. He landed a job, and he thinks its better for us. He thinks we’ll do better there than here.”

Pete opens his mouth, but no words come out. He instead closes his mouth, and looks at anything but Mikey. He turns his body so he’s looking out into the lake, his home. 

He doesn’t hear Mikey get into the waist deep water with him. He doesn’t hear him slip under. When Pete turns around and sees nothing left of Mikey but his jacket on the shore, he looks around himself, he spots the glint of glasses in the water, but its hard to see with the water’s reflecting into his eye. 

He dives. 

Deeper.

Deeper.

Lake floor. 

He spots Mikey unconscious 30 feet away. He’s there in a flash and tugs him up to the surface, holding him up and smacking his face and shaking him. 

/wake up, wake up, wake up./ pete whispers frantically. Eventually, Mikey coughs up enough lake water to be conscious. Pete immediately pulls him to to the shore, and screams at him. 

“you absolute fucking idiot. i hate you. don’t you see what you could’ve done? what if that hadn’t even worked? what if you were just dead?” 

Mikey just weakly shrugged, pulled on his socks and shoes, and handed Pete the anklet he had taken a few months ago. 

“I just wanted to be with you. I’m sorry.” 

And with that, he left. And Pete suddenly no longer felt whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what the fcuk am i doing!!!!


	7. ch.7

It’s a few hours into the night when the rain and thunder come. Pete’s handled these before. He’s been alone for all these years and done fine. Why doesn’t it feel right now? 

Pete longs for legs. He’s crying over some dumb boy he’s most likely will never see again and you fucking know what? he’s in love. Pete’s furious. 

/Why wasn’t I born with legs? Why was I made this way and He, made another?/ Pete mopes, crying salty tears. He didn’t know Mermaids could cry. Pete decided it was a new trick he’d learned from Mikey. 

/Mikey./

Pete’s heart had never ached so bad. The thunder rolled on, and Pete swam to the surface. He could see Mikey’s jacket a ways away from shore, and he was determined to have it. He beached himself on the shore and started dragging himself. He could only last a bit without proper water. 

He kept crawling, but he was tired. He psyched himself up, and kept going. Then, his water supply ran out. And he was left gasping for air, clutching a black trench coat in his hands. Pete didn’t think about death often, but he didn’t imagine it to be this painful. The breaths he couldn’t take built up in his system like fire coursing through his lungs. His blood had turned to coal that was about to be ignited. Pete couldn’t care less. If he was going to die tonight, under a pitch black sky, where tomorrow brought the news of a mystery cryptic creature with a tail on the 5 o’clock news, would Mikey remember him as an animal, or a person? Would Mikey care? Would he cry? Pete cries out exasperation as the last bit of his water is coughed out, and his mind is filled with /I'm sorry/ and /I just wanted to be closer to him/. Pete wore himself out even more, and promptly passed out on the wet sandy ground thinking of black and white glasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM A TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING RUIN ME


	8. ch.8

Pete woke up to crying. He couldn’t open his eyes, but he could feel salty tears over his face. His tongue darted out to taste one. 

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful person in front of him. His human. Pete sat up and wondered why he wasn’t in water. He was breathing air? His tail didn’t feel right either. He put his hand on his chest and panicked. Mikey jumped into his arms and swore into his ear. 

"If I ever come back for my jacket again and you’re fucking beached on this shore, I’m kicking your fucking ass all the way to the ocean.”

Pete laughs a little, and wiggles his toes. Pete then realizes he’s not supposed to be able to do that. He moves the coat, and cries out of surprise. Mikey’s unaware until he climbs off of Pete’s lap. 

Pete has ten toes. And no scales to be seen. When they look at each other, they hug tightly and cry. 

“Fuck. You’re human, Pete. What happened? How do you feel?"

“I wished for you in the middle of a storm and passed out on the beach, holding your coat. That’s all I remember. I feel sick.” And promptly retches onto the sand.

Mikey doesn’t care. He just pulls Pete closer to him, and presses his lips to his. 

Pete decides he likes this gesture. 

“I’m gonna take you home, no bathtub living for you, I suppose.”

No one laughs. It’s out of gratefulness. 

*****

When Mikey buttons the coat to cover Pete’s body, he asks Pete if he can walk. Pete almost keels over the first time. Mikey drags/carries him to Gerard’s car. 

Gerard and Frank are home when they smell the first scent of Pete. Frank gags, and Mikey glares. Pete wobbles shyly, like a gazelle first learning how to use its legs. Mikey puts Pete on the kitchen counter and runs a bath. In the meanwhile, Frank and Gerard look him up and down, and it’s driving Pete insane. He’s never felt like a caged animal before. 

“Who are you? What’s your name?”

“How old are you? Why do you smell like fish?” 

Pete doesn’t know how to answer these questions, so he stays silent until the two mystery boys are whisked away by his Human. 

“My legs don’t work.” 

“Sure they do, they’re just not used to it yet.”

Mikey makes Pete walk all the way to the bathroom, and by the time he’s in the bath, he’s exhausted. 

“Don’t make me do that again. I miss swimming already.” 

Mikey laughs, and grabs a comb, scissors, and a cup. 

“I’m washing your hair, don’t worry.” 

Mikey pours half a bottle into Pete’s long, tangled hair, and massages it. 

Pete has a distant memory of being clean, and he has a theory for Mikey once this ordeal is over and done with. 

“Close your eyes, soap stings.” 

Pete tightly shuts his eyes, and lets the water wash away the lake. 

****

When Mikey is done, Pete’s long ringlets are now cut into a short curly mess. Pete giggles and pulls Mikey into the water, washing his hair and (almost) cutting it. Mikey luckily grabs the scissors before that can happen. 

Pete is sitting on the counter in Mikey’s sweatpants and Anthrax teeshirt, curls still dripping water when the boys appear again. He learns their names when Mikey yells at them. Frank is the short one. Gerard is Mikey’s brother, and has teal roots that remind him of the necklace he once owned that is now at the bottom of the lake, too far for anyone to get. 

“You’re the boy in the picture. How’d you do that? Photoshop?” Frank asks, sipping on his tea. Pete is confused as to what photoshop is, but he asks to see the photo. 

He keeps it to himself and answers yes to the photoshop question, but when Mikey and him are finally alone again, he asks. 

“Was my tail really that beautiful? The lake water always muddled its colors.” 

Mikey just kisses and whispers a yes upon his lips. Pete turns over in a bed, with sheets and everything, and wonders how he could’ve lived without Mikey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aurell is watching pls god no also thaNKS FOR READING


	9. ch.9

Over time, Pete learns basic skills on how to be a human again. He still doesn’t understand the whole “cellphone underwater” thing. Mikey’s on his 2nd phone. Donna Lee is not going to be happy. 

“Pete.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you think we should get your birth certificate and such? You’re basically not a human without credentials.”

Pete swallows. Getting his birth certificate means tracking his parents down, refraining from telling him where he’s been for the past what, 12 years? He’s had glimpses, looks into the past he supposes, where he’s at the lake with a group of boys, they’re all pushing around the ice on skates. Too bad Pete never learned how to swim. 

___flashback ooo____

“Peter come on! Come to the center!” a little boy with blonde hair and a round face says. Pete obeys, he must only be 12, his tan skin still chubby around the middle. There’s two other boys out there as well, all bundled up and playing on the outskirts. The shy one, with the curly hair frowns. Pete looks at him and shrugs. The boy turns to his friend. 

“Patrick, time to go. It’s getting dark.” The curly haired boy calls. Patrick looks solemnly at Pete and pouts. 

“I wish we could hang out more often. I’ll see you next sunday?” Patrick asks, his glasses glinting. Pete nods, saying his goodbyes to the other boys, before they head off over the hill. 

Pete sits there for a little bit. Then he gets up, and skates to the middle of the ice. He begins to move on his own, quickly gaining balance. He jumps in triumph. 

He hears a crack. 

He doesn’t look down. 

Because what he feels next is ice cold water rushing his lungs, and he almost forgets, God, how could he forget? 

He forgot how fast ice freezes over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello I AM SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING. I LITERALLY HAVE NO EXCUSE EXCEPT THAT I HAVE NEVER FELT SO UNCREATIVE IN MY LIFE.


	10. 10

Pete doesn’t realize that he’s being shaken by a terrified Mikey, he remembers instead what happened after he died. He remembers a frantic Patrick yelling, hitting the ice, Joe and Andy attempting to smash it with bricks, Patrick’s screaming, tear streaked face as he’s dragged away from the lake. He doesn’t remember anything about turning except for the fact that it’s the most painful thing he’d ever felt. His bones melding together, his skin turning rough, the sudden preference for raw fish. He remembers it all.

“Pete? Pete, baby, wake up. Wake up!” Mikey’s crying, holding Pete. Pete snaps out of his trance and holds Mikey, whispering in his ear, and kissing under his jaw. 

“Shh. Shh, it’s okay. You’re okay, I’m okay. I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry” 

Pete’s never held another person while they cried, but he figures he could make a career out of it with the way Mikey’s face fits into his neck despite the height difference. 

Pete rubs his hand through Mikey’s hair, until the tears stop and small sniffles are the only thing heard.

A loud knock is heard upon the door. 

“I’ve finished packing Frank and I’s stuff, are you guys ready yet? We still have a day but yanno.” Gerard speaks through a crack in the door. Mikey nods, and Pete answers. 

“Yeah, but I think we’re going to go to the lake for a bit, Mikey’s had a bad morning.” 

“Okay, be back before dark. It’s getting cold.”

Pete nods, and gets out of bed, a reluctant Mikey following. Once they’re dressed, the walk to the lake is dreadful and silent. Pete still ends up grabbing Mikey’s hand and kissing his knuckles, whispering stupid things into Mikey’s ear, gaining giggles. They stop right at the edge of the lake. 

“So, I should probably tell you that I’m not from Belleville.” Pete begins and looks at Mikey. Mikey startles, his body jolting a bit, his mind going over it. 

“Where are you from then?” 

“Chicago. I was uh, looking through some stuff on your computer laptop thing, whatever, and i found some stuff out about me. My name is Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III, I’m 26 actually, my counting was off, my birthday is June 5th, 1979, and uh, I guess I drowned here while my family was here with my boy scouts troop? Which would explain, the boys I see in my dream. I know one is named Patrick, but I don’t know his last name, or I’d give it to you. I’m sorry, this just really hurts to remember.” 

Mikey kisses Pete on the lips, pulling him closer. 

“I’m gonna miss this lake.”

“Me too.”

“Who knew I’d find such a treasure here. You’re mine for the keeping.”

“I love you.” 

“I fucking love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh hello. I think this might be the last chapter before the two chapters that will end this. I'm thinking of giving you alternate endings, for people like me, who can't handle when a story goes south or smthn. thank you so much for reading. :)


	11. chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this is epilogue one. it's pretty cute ngl. thanks for reading.

epilogue

***3 years later, in Chicago*** 

Mikey and Pete in a dive bar waiting for a show (Mikey’s show) to start. A young man casually wave through the crowd, and replace Mikey’s spot. Pete turns to face him and he quickly hides his shock. He thought he’d never see him. 

“Uh, hello. This is gonna sound really weird, but, this is my best friend’s birthday tonight, and he’s not here to celebrate it, and you look just like him, so I thought maybe I could buy you a drink?” 

Pete blinks. The blonde boy- Patrick, adjusts his glasses. 

“Sure, why not. Lets go sit at that booth over there though, too much noise.” Pete catches Mikey’s smile as he walks by the stage with the people. They both sit down and introduce themselves. 

Pete learns that his name is Patrick. He finally fits the name to the face. Patrick messes with his Coke, not being able to look at Pete for more than 5 seconds. 

“So who’s the lucky birthday boy?” 

“Oh, well, his name was Pete, and uh, he died when we were kids, but I still commemorate his birthday since he isn’t here now.” Patrick fixes his glasses one more time, sniffling slightly. Pete’s heart breaks. He offers his hand over the table. Patrick accepts it briefly, and looks away. 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” 

“Thank you so much, I just really miss him, and you looked so much like him, and it was just so awful to watch. I didn’t even think you were going to accept the drink. I thought you would’ve thought I was a creep, but god, you look so much like him, it’s unreal. I even have a picture of us.” Patrick wipes his eyes, pulling his wallet out. Inside are 4 photos of various age. The first one is of a small, chubby blonde, who Pete guesses is Patrick, next to a chubbyish tan boy who must be Pete. They’re on a beach, and Pete’s got sand in his hair, Patrick’s laughing. The second one is titled, “Snow day! 1984” and it shows an older but still chubby Patrick making a snowman next to Pete. Pete smiles at this one. The third picture is a polaroid of Pete and Patrick in 1991. They’re both sitting on a bed smiling into the camera. 

Patrick smiles fondly. Pete tears up. 

“The fourth picture is uh, our friends at the lake a month before he fell through the ice. He couldn’t swim very well, but we all thought it was a good idea to take him ice skating, god, how stupid could we have been? I’d give anything to just say sorry. He drowned in the winter of 1993.” 

Pete studies the picture, the two boys, the boys from his dream. Pete whispers under his breath, “Andy, Joe.” Patrick looks up, astounded. 

“How did you? That’s totally right. I’m..” 

Pete looks at him, and Patrick sort of clicks. 

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Pete. Pete Wentz. How did you? We watched you sink from the surface! It can’t be. Where have you been? What the hell, Pete! They searched that lake for weeks. They never found your body.” Patrick heaves, trying to take this in, crying a little bit, and Pete pulls him into his chest, burying his face into his hair. Patrick just cries. 

By the end of the night, Pete leaves with Mikey and Patrick’s number, promising to explain everything later that night. Mikey’s been all but curious, but Pete keeps his mouth shut. Mikey doesn’t need to know anything yet, Pete’s only just got these memories back. 

Pete waits until Mikey falls asleep, and calls Patrick. The other line picks up after one ring with a quiet, “Pete?”

Pete smiles. 

“So what I’m getting from the brief conversation is that somehow, you managed to get out from under the ice after we ran for help, and escaped and now you’ve been….?”

“Mostly on the streets I guess, I don’t really remember. Can we just focus on the fact that I’m back in Chicago? You know, Belleville is not my favorite place.”

“Well yeah, I guess, but, Pete, you literally abandoned your family and friends. How can you not think about that? I missed you so terribly, I feel like I’ve missed so much of your life and now you won’t even let me in. You can’t begin to tell me you know how that feels.” 

“I…” 

Pete doesn’t know how to fix it. Pete hangs up. 

Mikey appears ten minutes later, cuddling up on Pete’s lap, nuzzling under Pete’s jaw. He doesn’t say anything, he knows that it was a bad idea. Pete opens his mouth to speak, but Mikey just squeezes his hand and whispers, “Okay.” 

“I wish it wasn’t hard to reconnect. I’ve missed so much of the world. I don’t even understand half the technology we have! I don’t understand half the slang you and your brother use, Frank is always questioning me about shit I don’t get, and it’s been 3 years since we left Belleville. I’m just floating through life belly up like a dead fish, which actually, I fucking was a few years ago!” 

“It’s not like you can’t reconnect. It’s not impossible. You’re a smart, attractive, confused man who just so happened to actually make what we have work for us. You’ve done so much more than you’re credited for. Plus, for just learning the bass, you’re fucking amazing, and your lyrics are even better. Think about what matters, not just the things you can’t do.” 

Pete sniffles, and hugs Mikey, causing Mikey to grin and kiss his jaw. 

“I actually love you so much, this is the gayest thing i’ve ever felt.” 

“Pete shut the fuck up and let me enjoy the moment for once.”

“Just saying.”

“/Pete./“

“Okay, sorry.” 

“Also, tomorrow, you can call Patrick and try again. I know you miss him.”

“How do you always see through me?”

“Cause I love you so much, I gained insight to your chest, and I can hear your heart crying for him.”

“Wait, is that true? Mikey, don’t joke about this.”

“….”

“MIKEY.”

“Night Pete!”

Pete slumps back onto the couch, crossing his arms. Damn Mikey and his ability to make Pete think anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love all of you. and you should be expecting the next chapter soon.


	12. thank you!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> not important. don't have to read. just wanted to thank you.

recently, this fic has gotten some attention on tumblr, whether from reviewers, or just ordinary people like me, it's still a pleasure to have written this. i really enjoyed writing this, and i'm sorry that i ghosted on all of you for like, ever. anyways, i'm in my last year of school, which is why i ghosted, and i still want to take the time to say thank you for sticking with this, for all the times i'd leave for 2 months, and never reply to comments. i read all of them. cross my heart. i love hearing feedback. anyways, a final thank you for putting up with my irregular updates, and for the love you showed this during the summer of love 2015. i hope this fic made your heart light up with joy over the possibilities of waterparks and sunsets.. i hope this reaches your heart. 

love,  
xojo

**Author's Note:**

> bad??? good?? need work??? feel free to actually destroy this work because i am trash and i will post another chapter soon. thanks! xojo


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